The bible is just a book Deeje, and I'm literate which makes me qualified to have an opinion on the content, just like every other literate person on the planet. You don't need to be an expert in Greek or Hebrew to understand what is written, or to read between the lines when it comes to understanding the motives of the authors. Lots of different religious people from the multitude of Christian denominations arduously study the bible, it doesn't make them "experts" in anything other than the interpretation their particular denomination puts on it.
It is true, we don't need any of those things to 'read' the Bible......but the one thing everyone needs in order to 'understand' it, is God's spirit. 'Arduously studying' it without the benefit of God's spirit turns it into "just a book". Which is why the multitude of denominations in Christendom can't seem to figure out exactly what it teaches.
We can all believe whatever we wish about the Bible.....and that is the beauty of it. Gotta love free will eh?
The Creator is looking for residents to inhabit the promised "new earth". (2 Peter 3:13-14).....we tell him whether we qualify by the choices we make in this life. There is no place for rebels, or those who want only to practice their own will, without due regard for God's will. He sets the rules...not us.
That doesn't sound reasonable to me! The constant guilt trip the deity has us on aside, the "consequences" thing sounds like exactly what it is - a threat.
What guilt trip? The Creator has placed life or death before all of us.....that's it. He wants us to choose life by obeying him....if we choose not to obey him, death is the consequence....just like Adam. As the Creator, he decides who lives and who doesn't.
He will never force you to obey him or to live a life that you do not choose.....why is that so difficult to comprehend?
You want to argue with him about that? ....go ahead and see where it gets you.
Well, yes, it was satan that caused the mistranslation in the gospel of John surely according to the Watchtower surely? It wasn't a simple human error was it? How many other simple human errors got in if that is the case?
By "mistranslation" I assume you mean John 1:1? That is the main scripture that Christendom uses to make Jesus into a three-headed god. There was no error in John 1:1, just a gross misrepresentation of the Greek word "theos". It means 'a divine mighty one'. It is used in the Bible to denote any being, (both human and spirit) as one possessing power and authority over others. God used the word to describe human judges in Israel, so was Israel instructed to worship them?
It was the Roman Catholic Church that introduced these ideas long after the death of Christ. Since Jesus was Jewish and not Catholic, I can safely assume that the ancient Jews, even though the first century Pharisees rejected Jesus as Messiah, had no belief in a trinity, hellfire or an immortal soul.
Everything in Christendom's doctrines that find their origins in pagan religions can safely be discarded. These include all of the above...none of which were originally taught by either Jews or the first Christians.
Hold on, your religious organisation claims the Church got the "basic message" wrong for most of the time between the crucifixion and now, in claiming that Jesus was a deity. I'd call that pretty damn basic!
No, Christendom didn't just get the message wrong...it abandoned the message altogether. It took the "only true God" of the Jews (John 17:3) and turned him into a three headed freak.
It gave humans a Greek inspired immortal soul, and a demon inspired hell of eternal punishment. Misrepresenting the Creator in such a disgusting fashion is not forgivable according to the scriptures.
God's kingdom was the theme of Jesus entire ministry, but if you ask any church member what God's kingdom is.....you often get a blank look and an embarrassing silence. Jesus said that 'the good news about that Kingdom was to be preached in all the inhabited earth before the "end" would come'. (Matthew 24:14) How can the churches preach about something when they have no knowledge of it?
Yeah, every Christian group claims the biblical prophecies are talking about their group! Forgive me for not being impressed!
I wasn't aware that it was God's job to impress you. If you want find fault with the Creator and his people, you will. He impresses me every day without even trying.
From your first link...
"A statement from Watch Tower said: "Jehovah's Witnesses abhor child abuse in all of its forms and do not shield wrongdoers from the authorities or from the consequences of their actions. All allegations of abuse are thoroughly investigated and appropriate restrictions are imposed on any person who is guilty of child sexual abuse.
"For years, Jehovah's Witnesses have had a robust child safeguarding policy. The trustees followed the policy by imposing restrictions on the perpetrator and by ensuring that he had no unsupervised contact with children during congregation meetings.
"The trustees will continue to concentrate on doing all that they can to safeguard children and to care for the spiritual needs of the congregation."
From your second link....
"Responding to Sarah's claims, the Jehovah's Witnesses said that while it could not comment on individual cases, "violence, whether physical or emotional, is strongly condemned in the Bible and has no place in a Christian family".
Do you believe everything you see or read in the media? You can if you want. We know that they never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Ever been on the receiving end of an "ex's" description of you? Funny how they are always the poor hapless victim. Ever wonder why a judge needs both sides of a story in order to render a judgment? You want to make judgments about us, having only one side of a story? That is your prerogative.
I have addressed all this before. Believe whatever you like....it seems as if you will anyway.
I thought as much, you have invested your life in the Watchtower, you are clearly deeply sold on the message,
No, actually, I have invested my life in the truth of the Bible's message and I believe that JW's happen to be the only ones who teach it with any accuracy and preach it the way Jesus commanded. (Matthew 28:19-20)
The Watchtower is a Bible society BTW....it prints our literature. We are Jehovah's Witnesses. Just sayin'.....
Sold on the message? You bet I am. But there is no obligation on your part to believe any of it. Free will again you see.
I imagine your whole social life is wrapped up in it as well.
Who fosters friendships with those with whom they have nothing in common? Why would I want close friends that do not share my views and interests? I find spiritual conversation way more stimulating than meaningless small talk.....but that is just me. We are never stuck for something to talk about.....because we are not just friends...we are family.
I have neighbors with whom I am very friendly.
Therefore I wasn't expecting you to walk away after reading a few lines from an atheist on a forum! However, I like to get people to think about their certainties and challenge them, nothing wrong with that in religious debates correct?
Debates are about getting information about both sides of an issue. I like to represent the side of the underdog in this particular issue. Its not the popular side, but I will tell the truth as I understand it and allow the readers to make up their own minds. That is what Jesus did......he told us to do that too.
I have little regard for people who like to assume the worst about others from reading biased news reports.
If you are waiting for us to be perfect, please don't hold your breath.....if Jesus' own apostles had problems dealing with their imperfections, I guess that means we are not expected to be perfect either. We just have to be trying to do our best. I assure you that we do.
